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Jet Set Radio HD to feature extra levels, incomplete soundtrack

The upcoming HD remaster of Jet Set Radio won't be an exact port of the Dreamcast original. There will be new levels and right analog stick support. Unfortunately, the soundtrack won't remain intact.

Update 06:50AM - Corrected details about artist availability.

The upcoming HD remaster of Jet Set Radio won't be an exact port of the Dreamcast original. In addition to the new HD widescreen visuals, the downloadable game will have a number of new levels, previously unavailable in North America: Batman Street and Grind Square. In addition, the game will take advantage of the right analog stick on PS3 and Xbox 360 for manual camera controls. (The Dreamcast controller only had one analog stick.)

Unfortunately, the soundtrack won't make the transition to the current generation intact. A Sega representative told Siliconera that they have "70% of the music" confirmed for the HD version, including songs from B.B. Rights, Guitar Vader, and Hideki Naganuma. "Sega is trying to track down rights for other songs, some of which have changed hands over the last decade," the report details.

Sega's inability to get the complete soundtrack is unsurprising, given the legal tangles licensed music tends to face. Activision, for example, is unable to promise the original soundtrack for its upcoming re-release of Tony Hawk Pro Skater HD.